The invention describes a method for developing a flexible and efficient ted educational system with the opportunity to protect instructions and data, or ted systems alike in a computer environment consisting of a network of user and computer devices, as for example computer devices connected to the Internet or other ending/receiving devices, such as CD-ROM, network computers, interactive television etc.
Systems of the above mentioned type are for example known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,293, U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,141, U.S. Pat. No. 5,528,281, U.S. Pat. No. 684,952 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,450, which illustrates educational systems connected through a network.
Educational systems, which use direct access to for example the Internet, easily out of control for the user of the system. This is not at least due to the large s of data being distributed by networks like the Internet, where the user normallyxe2x80x94as being connected to for example the Internetxe2x80x94begins to zap or xe2x80x9csurfxe2x80x9d around. The consequence is that the educational situation becomes unstructured and it means that the only obtains an overall introduction to the course.
It is furthermore a well-known case with for example the Internet, that on sets and data cannot optionally by the sending part be protected against printing, copying of a given object.
Besides that the Internet and other computer networks is able to deliver large quantities of data, it is also a well-known situation that the distribution of data might be time-consuming, especially at certain times, where a large number of users are connected. This puts into perspective, that the instructions used for handling data sometimes are being executed as function expressions, which like data are being distributed through the Internet and computer networks alike, thereby contributing to an, at certain times unacceptable xe2x80x9clarge trafficxe2x80x9d on the Internet.
It is the purpose of the invention to provide an educational course, which ensures that the user of an educational system is offered the necessary data, represented in a manageable way with the lowest possible time delays when distributing data, and that the user optionally is able to protect instructions and data in the form of a given object against printing and copying.
The purpose of the invention is enabled by the system comprising instruction sets, stored in a user computer device, server computer or other type of sending device, and which can both be distributed in total or partly separated from data, or together with data, while the instruction sets are used to manage both data being distributed from server computer devices and/or other sending devices and data being stored in the user computer devices.
In this way a method is created for developing an educational system in a computer environment, where it is possible in a controllable way to distribute data, of relevance for a course. At the same time, the instruction sets ensure that only relevant data is being distributed either from the user computer device or from, for example the Internet.
The method is characterized by, the instruction sets being user specified and stored in the users computer device in a way such that the opportunity of copying instruction sets and data optionally can be prevented.
An advantage of using such an approach is that the supplier of an educational system is able to develop static structures of instructions related to individual courses and which cannot be copied, while at the same time preventing the educational system and course content to be pirate copied which would result in a loss for the supplier.
Copying is a key issue in general in the area of electronic distribution and commerce.
A suitable method of developing an educational system is that the instructions sets are related to managing and executing educational topics, such as xe2x80x9coverview mapxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cself-studyxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9clecturexe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cgroup collaborationxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cbrowsexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cgeneral instructionsxe2x80x9d.
This method of separating the instruction sets primarily has the advantage, that development of courses with different contents to some extent becomes standardized, thereby minimizing the cost of developing different courses to the lowest possible extent.
To further enable the best possible course structure, it is an advantage that the instruction sets are organized for creating, editing, administrating, analyzing and use of a total knowledge transformation process
In this way all aspects of an educational situation are procured in an easy way.
For further transformation of th e xe2x80x9creal lifexe2x80x9d educational situation to an educational situation in a computer environment, it is suitable that the topics are being presented as multimedia objects based on integration of one or more information types, such as a video, a series of sounds and pictures, a series of slides, a text, a graphic or a sound program.
While, as mentioned above, th e topics are presented as multimedia objects, the invention is further flexible by presenting these as a dialog between one or more users and the multimedia object, or as a dialog between one or more users through the multimedia object.
If multiple persons whishes to use an educational system in a computer environment, it is an advantage that multiple users at the same time are able to connect to educational programs. The flexibility and efficiency of the educational system is also increased if only data in the form of content, for example educational content, which is related to static function expressions, such as an index, is distributed from server computers or other sending devices.
This primarily provides the advantage, that the data, which for example exists on the Internet, can be distributed in an especially suitable way, if the function related expressions, which are related to the specific data, are being controlled by the instruction sets.
Finally it is an advantage that during execution of the educational program data is frequently updated from server computer devices or other sending devices.
This ensures that the supplied course system is always fully updated with the latest knowledge.